Chapter 12: Storming the Stronghold
With his Swift Boots gleaming with a sharp white light, Kaizen Reiya moved as if teleporting. His figure blurred, vanishing from one spot and reappearing an instant later, already bursting through the breach a hundred meters away.
Glue Pistol, thirty-two shots!
Kaizen raised his hands. Swish, swish, swish... Bullets filled the sky, and thirty-two bandits fell in response.
His fingers moved with practiced skill, his motions fluid like flowing clouds. Wave after wave of oncoming bandits kept collapsing.
The Higuma Bandit base camp descended into chaos.
Only then did the hundred-strong death squad from Windmill Village pour in. Seeing Kaizen commanding the battlefield, cutting down bandits like mowing grass, they were so shocked their eyes nearly popped out.
"My God, the firepower is too intense."
"Yeah, so dashing! Even stronger than Luffy!"
"No wonder he dared to bring just a few of us to attack Higuma's main camp."
"Boss Kaizen is a one-man army!"
"Following a boss like this, we can't lose!"
The over six hundred members of the Windmill Village death squad, like the other villagers, had initially felt that attacking a base camp of twenty to thirty thousand bandits with just over six hundred men was a death wish.
But now, seeing Kaizen wield both pistol and might, taking bandits' heads as easily as cutting straw, each of them was momentarily stunned.
Although the bandits far outnumbered them, they were being shredded by Kaizen's Glue Pistol, thirty-two shots at a time, leaving corpses strewn everywhere. The bandit morale, already shaken, immediately crumbled.
"Kill that kid together!" Seeing the situation turning sour, three Level 9 bandit leaders charged at Kaizen from three different directions, swinging their blades, hoping to kill him and stabilize their ranks.
Star-Siphoning Art!
Kaizen's figure fluttered like falling leaves, elusive.
Ah! Ah! Ah!...
In a few breaths, the combat power of the three Level 9 bandit leaders was completely drained by Kaizen.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 9 Player.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya. The Calm Sea Key's detection range has increased to 90 meters.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for obtaining 90x speed, learning, and cultivation ability.
...
The melodious voice of the system stirred the blood.
Kaizen felt the combat power within him surge significantly.
It rose like a tide, and naturally, he achieved sixty-four simultaneous shots with the Glue Pistol in an instant.
He had reached the Major Achievement realm of the Glue Pistol.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya. The Glue Pistol has reached the Major Achievement realm.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya. The Glue Pistol can now fire 64 bullets simultaneously.
"Hahaha!" "This feels incredible!"
Kaizen's ten fingers moved like windmills, bullets flying out in a dense barrage, their lethality instantly doubling.
He watched as large swathes of bandits kept falling, a feeling of hearty satisfaction washing over him.
This is what it means to slaughter.
This is punishing evil and promoting good.
This is reaping ten thousand lives.
Spurred on by Kaizen, the Windmill Village death squad went wild, cutting through the bandits like melons and vegetables, chasing them down and beheading them.
...
At the highest point of the stronghold stood a five-story building resembling a palace. On its top floor was a spacious, luxurious hall.
Higuma, wearing a brown-red coat, held two beautiful women in his arms. His five bandit chiefs caroused recklessly with their own female companions, eating and drinking without restraint.
"Boss, have you heard? That outsider who killed our Third Commander, Bloodblade, is coming to attack our stronghold?"
"Haha, it's nothing. I heard the news too. That kid's only Level 8. The Third was too careless. I told him to be more careful, but he never listens, always underestimating his opponents. Getting caught off guard by that outsider's surprise attack... I bet he's hiding somewhere scared out of his wits now."
"Daring to attack my Higuma stronghold? I have twenty to thirty thousand men under me! They could drown him with spit alone. Fifth Brother, you're getting old, believing such rumors. Really."
"Boss, don't say that. There are always exceptional people. I also heard a while ago that this outsider kid organized a death squad of over six hundred people, saying he's coming to kill you, Boss. Is it true?"
"Third Brother, what should I say about you? Believing such rumors? Come on, you're fined three drinks. Tomorrow we go to Windmill Village. Kill all the men. Just keep the young, beautiful women. Tsk tsk, that village is a treasure trove. The girls there are really something, especially that bar hostess, Makino. That girl has real spirit... I must have her..."
Higuma licked his lips.
Haha, I'll drink to that!
...
In the luxurious top-floor hall, the bandit chiefs and important figures drank merrily, growing drunk and boisterous.
Suddenly, a blood-soaked bandit rushed in, his face panicked. "B-Big Brother! It's terrible! They've broken in! The people from Windmill Village are inside!"
"What?" Higuma was startled. "Has Luffy recovered from his injuries?"
"No! It's an outsider kid! He brought a group from Windmill Village in!"
The blood-covered bandit trembled as he spoke.
Higuma listened and let out a sigh of relief.
Luffy had been injured by his second uncle, Haig, a Devil Fruit user. On the surface, his second uncle seemed fine, but he'd actually suffered internal injuries more severe than Luffy's. After returning, Higuma had strictly suppressed the news.
He had set a deadline for slaughtering the village mainly to conceal the truth from the public. He'd sent the Third Commander, Bloodblade, to the village to investigate and gauge Luffy's condition.
As long as Luffy wasn't dead, they wouldn't dare act recklessly against Windmill Village. However, they never expected that before they could ascertain Luffy's status, an outsider would show up, kill Bloodblade, and even boast about attacking the stronghold. Higuma couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Brothers, kill that kid for me! Today, I'll use his blood to avenge the Third Brother!" Higuma shouted. The Second, Fifth, and other restless chiefs were about to charge out.
BOOM!
A Glue Cannonball struck the roof. With a deafening blast, it blew a huge hole in the ceiling. The people inside felt a gust of scorching wind slam into them, sending them flying. Thud! They smashed into the wall.
However, Higuma, the Second, the Fifth, and the Sixth bandit chiefs were all at least Level 10 bandits. These Glue Cannonballs couldn't seriously harm them.
"I'm furious! How dare you blow up my house! Capture that kid! I'll have him sliced a thousand times!" Higuma, enraged, grabbed his sword and rushed out.
Under the dazzling starlight, he saw a figure waving both hands. Bullets continuously spun out from its fingers, shooting forth with sharp swishes. It was like scything through straw.
Ah! Ah! Ah!...
"Help!"
"A demon! It must be a demon! A demon is killing!"
"Save me! I can't get away!"
"I don't want to die!"
One by one, the bandits scattered in terror, crashing everywhere.
Yet, the ghost-like figure kept firing, the bullets seeming to have eyes...